Mom Says Son's Life Was Saved Because of Facebook

Deborah Copaken Kogan joined Facebook back in 2008, after her son was being bullied, and officials at his school suggested she monitor his page. But the social media site eventually became a sort of community for the New York mom -- and, she tells "Today," even saved her 4 -year-old son Leo's life.

"It was Mother's Day morning, Sunday morning, and Leo woke up with a rash," Copaken Kogan tells the news show. "I thought, oh, great, he got strep, we've got to go to the doctor. I'm waiting in the waiting room, feeling a little bored. I snapped the photo of my son -- and he was putting his blankie over his face -- and I said something like, 'Nothing says happy Mother's Day like a Sunday morning at the pediatrician."

The doctor agreed that it was likely strep -- the illness was going around his classroom, as well -- and gave her a prescription for amoxicillin.

When Leo hadn't got better by day three, Copaken Kogan posted another photo of her boy on Facebook.

"I said, I'm very concerned, you know, my kid looks very sick," she tells the news show. "Within the first hour of posting this photo, (I had) three friends telling me to go to the hospital, it could be Kawasaki disease. And once I got the strep culture and it came back negative, I just thought, that's it, I'm going. And I just called my doctor."

Copaken Kogan tells "Today" those Facebook messages were a catalyst.

"They said to me, here's the collective experience of 1,400 people, three of whom are telling me it could be Kawasaki disease, a very rare autoimmune disorder I had never heard (that) about effects 3,000 kids a year in the United States," she tells the show. "Many cases of Kawasaki disease don't actually get diagnosed until the fifth day, sixth day, because these symptoms mimic so many other illnesses."

Today, Leo is recovering, although his mom tells the news show his liver is still damaged and may take a year or so to regenerate. But she says he'll be fine.

"The fact that these friends on Facebook took a risk and said, 'sorry for butting in, but I think this could be Kawasaki,' was a miracle," Copaken Kogan tells "Today."

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ReaderComments (Page 3 of 8)

It says she joined in 2008 because her son was being bullied. Clearly it was a different son since this child was a year old. So easy to be critical of someone else when you have none of the details. Glad you're all perfect.

The article isn't formatted well but I took it to mean that she signed up to monitor her older son. It says she signed up in 2008 - if Leo is four now then he would have been one in 2008. Doubtful he had a facebook and even more doubtful that he would have been bullied in school.

Sooo your kid is real sick the doc gives meds that should show improvment in 48 hours they don't do it so you go to facebook instead of back to the doctor??? This is the problem people are loosing touch with reality. Instead of being on facebook posting pics of your sick son you should have been back at the doctor having tests done. If facebook hadn't suggested it you would have just sat there til he died???

Well, luckily she was chatting about his symptoms on facebook instead of looking them up on a medical site, a book or another hospital. Her friends probably just googled the symptoms that she posted which she was too lazy to do.

The doctors did what they were supposed to do. Think horsies, not zebras. There was no reason to alarm a mother with a rare disease when it has a 99% chance of being strep. It wasn't their fault he was the 1% who had something that wasn't. And if she knew his symptoms were getting worse, she should have taken him right back to the ER instead of wasting her time on a social network site.

People turn to Facebook for everything, gone are the days when your neighbors came over if something was wrong or your relatives drove over quickly. Today most women work, as I do, and my relatives have all moved far away to retirement communities.

Not that I like it, but Facebook, cell phone pictures, twitter, U tube have replaced your best friend or your grandmother or Aunt rushing over to help.

Thank goodness this mother did post on Facebook. This is a very rare disease. My son was diagnosed with Kawaski's at the age of 15 months. We went to four different doctors who all diagnosed something different, scarlet fever, strep, etc. Finally, at day 8 he was diagnosed with Kawaski's and immediately was hospitalized for the gamma gobulin treatment. This can be a devasting illness, we were fortunate, as was this young man, that it was caught early on. Doctors are in the business of PRACTICING medicine - they don't always know the right answers.

Due to all the illegal aliens running to the emergency rooms with all their anchor children every time they get a sniffle, looking for free medical treatment, the E.R. doctors have become very complacement in diagnosing their patients , especially children. Mexicans are destroying Americas way of life.

Oy... Obviously you didn't read the first paragraph very well, seeing as she joined Facebook in 2008, Leo is 4 now, he would have been ONE in 2008. It is obviously talking about an older son. Also, you do not have to be 18 to get a Facebook page. No where on Facebook does it say you MUST be 18 to join.

My daughter got Kawasaki's disease when she was 4 years old, she was not diagnose until the fourth day of a four days of going to pediatrician and blood test to find nothing the fourth day the pediatrician looked up her symptoms in a medical journal and we were immediately whisked to the hospital. Her fever sometimes hit 105 degress, the skin on her hands and feet came off completely after a week stay in the hospital and she had to do a 30 day aspirin regimen because this disease also affects the heart. She's now 12 and doing wonderfully. This disease is easily misdiagnosed, and has many symptons. High fever, raspberry tongue, swollen glands (looks like frankenstein) rash all over the body. Has only been in children under 7. My older children never had or caught this disease??

Kudos to a mom who searched until she found the correct diagnosis for her child. We have to get out of the mindset that Drs know everything, ERs are for children with diseases and a pill/shot/medical treatment will cure us. After several missed diagnoses which almost caused me my life, I have assumed responsibility for my own health. Even though I found a Dr who is a good diagnostician, I go armed with a list of tests for my symptoms. I research his diagnosis and possible treatments online and through several medical books and then I proceed with treatment. As a result, I am a 75 year old, who looks 55, actively work in my own business and travel extensively. I only take pharmaceuticals in emergency situations or as a last resort. Natural healing has gone on for centuries and does not destroy the body in hopes of healing it. Too bad so many people are influenced by "medical miracle" shows on TV. Drs are not gods and ERs are staffed by Drs. It's your life, take responsibility for it.

I WOULD LOVE TO USE YOUR MOTHER'S WHITE WEDDING DRESS (IF SHE STILL HASS IT) TO WIPE MY ASSZ AFTER A 6 DAY FIGHT WITH DIAHRREA. I WILL MAKE IT A SPECIAL POINT TO HAND DELIVER IT BACK TO HER, ALL WET, BROWN, DIRTY AND SMELLY! WHY, I WILL EVEN THROW IN A BOX OF FECES FOR HER, TOO. JUST GIVE ME HER POSTAL ADDRESS!

TheTalkies

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